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Method and system for multiple party telephone callRelated Patent Categories: Multiplex Communications, Pathfinding Or Routing, Combined Circuit Switching And Packet SwitchingMethod and system for multiple party telephone call description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070189269, Method and system for multiple party telephone call. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The multi-party line is a time honored voice communication feature that allows users using multiple terminals to participate in a telephone call. It was widely deployed as a public telephone service when cost of telephone equipment and telephone lines was high. [0002] Multi-party lines have been employed in key systems for small businesses, and in hotel or motel guest rooms. The deployment of cordless telephony based on wireless technologies such as Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication ("DECT") and Communication Technologies 2 ("CT2") has fueled the continued use of multi-party lines. [0003] With the advancement of Internet technologies, Internet Protocol ("IP") networks are becoming an important means for voice and data communications. Internet service providers and equipment vendors roll out successful voice communication services and products at a breathtaking pace. Many of these services and products are based on various Voice over IP ("VoIP") technologies, such as H.323 and Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP"). However, these VoIP technologies, limited by their reliance on endpoint call state management and their lack of a centralized call processing architecture, are inherently unsuitable for supporting multi-party lines. The lack of a centralized call processing architecture is problematic for supporting multi-party calls because the control of each individual telephone call is concentrated at the call's origination and destination, and once the call is established, an additional party has no centralized call processing entity to request that they be joined to the existing telephone call from. Thus, in attempting to join the existing telephone call in such an endpoint state management system, the additional party will only get a busy signal. The following examples are illustrative of various limitations VoIP technologies have with respect to multi-party lines. [0004] In one example, a caller calls a multi-party line by alerting the multiple telephone terminals of the multi-party line. In a non-VoIP environment, when a first terminal answers the call, the centralized call processing center then removes the call alert from the other telephone terminals and establishes the multi-party call. In the case of a VoIP call, when a first terminal of the multi-party line answers the call, since there is no centralized call processing center, there is no feasible method to notify the other telephone terminals of the multi-party line to remove the call alert, thus the multi-party line call cannot be established. [0005] In another example, a first terminal is conducting a conversation over a VoIP call. When a second terminal of the multi-party line desires to join the call, there is no feasible method to allow the second terminal to join the conversation. For example, if the second terminal attempts to call the first terminal, it receives a busy signal. Under systems using a centralized call processing center, the center is able to verify the second terminal as authorized on the multiple-party line call, and allow them to join in the already-initiated call. [0006] In another example, a first user subscribes to a single-line residential telephone service. The first user connects the base station of her old 2.4 GHz multi-handset to the telephone line, with one handset in the kitchen, and the other handset in her daughter's bedroom. With this set up, the first user and her daughter are able to participate in a telephone call using the two handsets. Impressed with the low cost and the promise of convenience and other advanced features, the first user decides to switch to a 2-line residential VoIP telephone service. Bundled with the service are two brand new VoIP telephones. Each VoIP telephone includes an independent VoIP application, allowing the first user and her daughter to make separate telephone calls at the same time. While enjoying the new found convenience, the first user is unaware of the limitation that the multi-party line feature no longer works. While conducting a conversation with second user, such as a relative, over the VoIP telephone in the kitchen, the first user wants her daughter to join the conversation using the VoIP telephone in her room. When the daughter picks up her phone, she is unable to join the conversation, since there is now no centralized call processor. Instead she receives a dial tone, prompting her to make a new call. [0007] In still another example, a user owns a small business and subscribes to a single-line business telephone service. The user uses a telephone connector to connect two telephones to the telephone line. With this set up, the user can monitor the way his employee handles customer calls, and at time can join the conversation when necessary. With the expansion of his business, the user hires two new employees and switches to a 4-line VoIP business telephone service. With the new setup, the user and his employees can simultaneously handle multiple customer calls. However, the user can no longer monitor his employees' performance, and offer his help. [0008] In another example, a hotel has upgraded its guest rooms to use VoIP technology. Each telephone runs a separate VoIP application, and each connects to the hotel's IP-Public Branch Exchange (IP-PBX) to receive telephone service. A user is a frequent patron of the hotel. Before the upgrade, she was able to use any telephone in the guest room to engage in a call. Unaware of the recent upgrade, she checks into the hotel the night before an important strategic presentation to her customers. She checks into an executive suite that features multiple VoIP telephones, one at the night stand in the bedroom, one on a desk in the adjacent living quarter, and one in the bathroom. At two o'clock a.m., the telephone rings. She wakes up and picks up the call with the VoIP telephone at the night stand and speaks to her boss regarding critical changes in the customer presentation. After talking for a minute, she decides to move to the living quarter in order to review the presentation in her laptop while expecting to resume the conversion with her boss with the VoIP telephone at the desk. But when she picks up the VoIP telephone, she is unable to speak to or hear from her boss, because there is no centralized call processor tying the telephone lines in the room together into a multi-party line. [0009] The foregoing examples demonstrate the need to provide multi-party line features over an IP network. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] An aspect of the present invention provides a multiple party telephone call method. The method includes receiving an incoming voice telephone call at a multi-party module, and allowing, by the multi-party module, for a plurality of terminal modules to participate in the incoming voice telephone call. Each terminal module is associated with a telephonic end-user device, such as a telephone handset, a video telephone, or a facsimile machine. [0011] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is a Plain Old Telephone Service ("POTS") telephone call. [0012] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is a cellular telephone call. [0013] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is a VoIP telephone call. [0014] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is offered by an Instant Messaging ("IM") service. [0015] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is offered by a Private Branch Exchange ("PBX"). [0016] In another aspect of the invention, the voice telephone call in the above method is offered by an Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange ("IP-PBX"). [0017] In another aspect of the invention, the method further includes incrementing a zero-initialized counter each time a terminal module begins participation in the voice telephone call. [0018] Another aspect of the invention includes the above method, further decrementing the counter each time a terminal module ends participation in the voice telephone call, and terminating the voice telephone call by the multi-party module when the counter returns to zero. [0019] In another aspect of the invention, the multi-party module may terminate the incoming voice telephone call. [0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a multiple party telephone call system. The system includes a multi-party module in communication with a call interface, such as a call network, and also in communication with a plurality of terminal modules, each terminal module comprising a telephone, and the multi-party module comprising a processor and associated memory. The processor and memory are configured to receive an incoming voice telephone call from the call network at the multi-party module, and allow for a plurality of terminal modules to participate in the incoming voice telephone call. [0021] Another aspect of the invention includes the system above, in which the processor and associated memory of the multi-party module are further configured to increment a zero-initialized counter when a terminal module begins participation in a voice telephone call, and to decrement the counter when a terminal module ends participation in a telephone call. [0022] In another aspect of the invention, the processor and associated memory of the multi-party module are further configured to disconnect the voice telephone call when the counter returns to zero. Continue reading about Method and system for multiple party telephone call... 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